1 Corinthians 15:13-58

New American Standard Bible

¹³ But if there is no resurrection of the dead, then not even Christ has been raised; ¹⁴ and ^(A)if Christ has not been raised, then our preaching is in vain, your faith also is in vain. ¹⁵ Moreover, we are even found to be false witnesses of God, because we testified ^[a]against God that He ^(B)raised ^[b]Christ, whom He did not raise, if in fact the dead are not raised. ¹⁶ For if the dead are not raised, then not even Christ has been raised; ¹⁷ and if Christ has not been raised, your faith is worthless; ^(C)you are still in your sins. ¹⁸ Then also those who ^(D)have fallen asleep in Christ have perished. ¹⁹ If we have hoped in Christ only in this life, we are ^(E)of all people most to be pitied.

The Order of Resurrection

²⁰ But the fact is, Christ ^(F)has been raised from the dead, the ^(G)first fruits of those who ^(H)are asleep. ²¹ For since ^(I)by a man death came, by a man also came the resurrection of the dead. ²² For ^(J)as in Adam all die, so also in ^[c]Christ all will be made alive. ²³ But each in his own order: Christ ^(K)the first fruits, after that ^(L)those who are Christ’s at ^(M)His coming, ²⁴ then comes the end, when He hands over ^(N)the kingdom to our ^(O)God and Father, when He has abolished ^(P)all rule and all authority and power. ²⁵ For He must reign ^(Q)until He has put all His enemies under His feet. ²⁶ The last enemy that will be ^(R)abolished is death. ²⁷ For ^(S)He has put all things in subjection under His feet. But when He says, “^(T)All things are put in subjection,” it is clear that ^[d]this excludes the Father who put all things in subjection to Him. ²⁸ When ^(U)all things are subjected to Him, then the Son Himself will also be subjected to the One who subjected all things to Him, so that ^(V)God may be all in all.

²⁹ For otherwise, what will those do who are baptized ^[e]for the dead? If the dead are not raised at all, why then are they baptized ^[f]for them? ³⁰ Why are we also ^(W)in danger every hour? ³¹ I affirm, brothers and sisters, by the boasting in you which I have in Christ Jesus our Lord, that ^(X)I die daily. ³² If ^[g]from human motives I ^(Y)fought with wild beasts at ^(Z)Ephesus, what good is it to me? If the dead are not raised, ^(AA)let’s eat and drink, for tomorrow we die. ^33 (AB)Do not be deceived: “Bad company corrupts good morals.” ^34 (AC)Sober up ^[h]morally and stop sinning, for some have ^(AD)no knowledge of God. ^(AE)I say this to your shame.

³⁵ But ^(AF)someone will say, “How are ^(AG)the dead raised? And with what kind of body do they come?” ^36 (AH)You fool! That which you ^(AI)sow does not come to life unless it dies; ³⁷ and that which you sow, you do not sow the body which is to be, but a bare grain, perhaps of wheat or of ^[i]something else. ³⁸ But God gives it a body just as He wished, and ^(AJ)to each of the seeds a body of its own. ³⁹ All flesh is not the same flesh, but there is one flesh of mankind, another flesh of animals, another flesh of birds, and another of fish. ⁴⁰ There are also heavenly bodies and earthly bodies, but the glory of the heavenly is one, and the glory of the earthly is another. ⁴¹ There is one glory of the sun, another glory of the moon, and another glory of the stars; for star differs from star in glory.

^42 (AK)So also is the resurrection of the dead. It is sown ^[j](AL)a perishable body, it is raised ^[k](AM)an imperishable body; ⁴³ it is sown in dishonor, it is raised in ^(AN)glory; it is sown in weakness, it is raised in power; ⁴⁴ it is sown a ^(AO)natural body, it is raised a ^(AP)spiritual body. If there is a natural body, there is also a spiritual body. ⁴⁵ So also it is written: “The first ^(AQ)man, Adam, became a living ^[l]person.” The ^(AR)last Adam was a ^(AS)life-giving spirit. ⁴⁶ However, the spiritual is not first, but the natural; then the spiritual. ⁴⁷ The first man is ^(AT)from the earth, ^[m](AU)earthy; the second man is from heaven. ⁴⁸ As is the earthy one, so also are those who are earthy; and as is the heavenly one, ^(AV)so also are those who are heavenly. ⁴⁹ Just as we have ^(AW)borne the image of the earthy, ^[n]we ^(AX)will also bear the image of the heavenly.

The Mystery of Resurrection

⁵⁰ Now I say this, brothers and sisters, that ^(AY)flesh and blood cannot ^(AZ)inherit the kingdom of God; nor does ^[o]the perishable inherit ^[p](BA)the imperishable. ⁵¹ Behold, I am telling you a ^[q](BB)mystery; we will not all sleep, but we will all be ^(BC)changed, ⁵² in a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trumpet; for ^(BD)the trumpet will sound, and ^(BE)the dead will be raised ^[r]imperishable, and ^(BF)we will be changed. ⁵³ For this ^[s]perishable must put on ^[t](BG)the imperishable, and this ^(BH)mortal must put on immortality. ⁵⁴ But when this ^[u]perishable puts on ^[v]the imperishable, and this mortal puts on immortality, then will come about the saying that is written: “^(BI)Death has been swallowed up in victory. ^55 (BJ)Where, O Death, is your victory? Where, O Death, is your sting?” ⁵⁶ The sting of ^(BK)death is sin, and ^(BL)the power of sin is the Law; ⁵⁷ but ^(BM)thanks be to God, who gives us the ^(BN)victory through our Lord Jesus Christ.

^58 (BO)Therefore, my beloved brothers and sisters, be firm, immovable, always excelling in ^(BP)the work of the Lord, knowing that your labor is not in vain in the Lord.